First Impressions – Conviction by M. Howalt

The author, M. Howalt, frequently replies to posts here (Hi! Always a pleasure to see you here!), so how could I not?

I’m now somewhere in the 5th installment of Conviction, and this post is about why you’ll want to check more of it out after the first chapter.

This story establishes a mood and a character very quickly, with the protagonist Iliya Radov trying to recover his memory in a horrible jail cell. As his cell is described, there are great little lines like “The paint and the plaster of his mind were crumbling, and it would be only a matter of time before he broke” that get the reader into this man’s head. At the end a bit of hope, a man who knows Iliya, and whom Illiya seems to have some fractured memory of. What does this man want? Illyia is an ‘Infantry Assault Wizard’? Such tantalizing clues!

It’s a lot to take in, but I think most readers will be drawn in by exactly that! I’ve kept on reading because of the mysteries and the simple narrative that navigates them quickly. That’s why I encourage you, dear reader, to check this out. Be sure to post your thoughts – let me know if you enjoyed Conviction as well!

Conviction had such a great atmosphere to the story and its people. I remember thinking of it kind of like a mix between Jin Roh and Fullmetal Alchemist. Glad you enjoyed it, and very nice words on it.